NINE in 10 Britons suffer bad breath

Bad breath affects a staggering 95 per cent of adults

NINE in 10 Britons suffer from bouts of bad breath and it is beginning to ruin their love lives, new research reveals.

 

In an era of internet dating and matchmaking apps, it is a problem that is now affecting a staggering 95 per cent of adults with two thirds claiming it has become a 'chronic' condition, said the study.

Modern diets including spicy food and a rise in the daily Americano from the local coffee shop are among the causes, along with diehard habits such as smoking, said the survey by non-alcoholic mouthwash brand Dentyl Active.

But even though more are aware of the problem, they may not be dealing with it properly just by sucking a mint, chewing gum or using the wrong products.

The last thing you want when you’re charming a potential date is bad breath

Jo Barnett, Dating expert

The research found nine in ten (89 per cent) going on a first date say it is the thing they worry about most before meeting a prospective match and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it has ruined the occasion for 39 per cent of them.

Only body odour is a bigger turnoff than bad breath in a date, said Dentyl Active, who surveyed 2,000 adults.

The problem can be caused by what we eat, drink or smoke and made worse by a lack of managing the problem, said Dentyl Active's experts.

Stale tobacco was voted as the worst bad breath smell of all, followed by garlic - though if both members of a couple ate garlic then it wasn’t perceived as much of an issue, said the study.

 

Dating expert Jo Barnett, analysing the survey of 2,000 adults by Dentyl Active fresh breath mouthwash, said: "The last thing you want when you’re charming a potential date is bad breath.

"If you are concerned before a date do the ‘wrist lick test’. Simply lick your wrist using the back part of the tongue and let it dry. If your wrist smells fresh, you’re good to go, if not, you better get gargling."

More than three in ten people do use a mouthwash every day though many use ones containing alcohol whose effects tend to wear off because they leave the mouth dry, which can trigger bad breath the study added.

The advantage with alcohol-free ones, it is claimed, is that they work in phases for several hours after use rather than wear off quickly.